Entertainment

'Sunday Night Football' Reporter Tweets Videos From NFL Sidelines

NFL fans who tune in to NBC's "Sunday Night Football" broadcasts are in for a new twist on second screen and social media coverage this season. How? Erstwhile sideline reporter Michele Tafoya is now filing video reports from the field directly via Twitter during games.

The quick-hit updates are recorded by producer Mike Seib on an iPhone and posted to the @SNFonNBC Twitter account. They'll provide injury info, relays of information from coaches and team PR reps and other content similar to what typically appears in Tafoya's regular cutaways during the actual NBC broadcast. You can see a couple example reports from the preseason here and here, and during upcoming "Sunday Night Football" games look for tweets like this one:

It appears to be a new use of social media in sports broadcasting. Tafoya told Mashable in an interview that she jumped at the idea of marrying major network access with mobile video immediacy when Seib brought it up during a production meeting this summer.

"I thought it was great because there is always so much stuff we want to get into the broadcasts but just can't because of time," she says.

The social media sideline reports are meant to bring fans closer to the game, in addition to work around the timing restrictions of TV broadcasts. Seib also shoots Instagram photos of players and coaches on the sideline, which he then posts to the @SNFonNBC account as well.

"The sideline is just a unique place to be," Tafoya says. "It's crazy, always changing, exciting. It's nuts, and to bring that element to the audience is just a great way to expand the whole fan experience."

Tafoya is an avid social media user herself, with more than 16,000 followers on her personal Twitter account, which she posts to frequently. She's watched Twitter and other platforms mature from a strange novelty to reporting basic with sports fans and media over the past few years.

"I think it has turned that corner and it's a really fun and, quite frankly, addictive way to follow things that are developing for me," she says. "A year ago, we were just tweeting sentences, and maybe a couple photos. Now we're sharing video direct from the field. At the rate things are going, you just can't wait to see what's next."

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Mashable
is a leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's record 42 million unique visitors worldwide and 21 million social media followers are one of the most influential and engaged online communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.